By Kristel Satumbaga
Participants of the 2018 Century Tuna IRONMAN Philippines are hoping for a kinder weather condition as they intend to make history today at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
Forecast shows a big chance of an early rain just before the 5:50 a.m. gun start for the IRONMAN 70.3 participants and the 6:20 a.m. start for the full IRONMAN competitors.
Cloudy skies and a cooler temperature as high as 27 degree Celsius are also expected around noon, giving athletes some reprieve from the usual stifling heat when they navigate the grueling 3.8-kilometer run, 180-km bike, 42.2-km run course.
Still, organizer Sunrise Events Inc. has prepared extra precautions for the participants by putting several aid stations, pit stops and special needs booths in strategic locations.
Sight buoys were also placed at the swim course to guide competitors.
The race will start at the ACEA Beach for the swim leg, to the Subic Bay and Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) for the flat bike and run courses.
Fourteen elite athletes spearhead the country’s first full IRONMAN race that includes New Zealand’s Cameron Brown and Great Britain’s Liz Blatchford.
“I’m eager to see what this course has to offer and also excited to be racing with these great athletes here,” said Brown, a two-time runner-up in the Hawaii IRONMAN and 12-time IRONMAN New Zealand champion.
Meanwhile, Zedrick James Borja of San Pedro, Laguna and Lady Samantha Corpuz of San Fernando City banner the winners of the Alaska IRONKIDS age-group race held yesterday at the WOW pools and Remy Field.
